Qingdao launches week-long festival of love

The coastal city Qingdao opened its Marriage and Love Culture Week on Aug 27 at the Vows Square, framing itself as China's "city of romance".

One hundred couples renewed their wedding vows in white dresses, offering stories that began or flourished in Shinan district, Qingdao. The seven-day program pairs them with nightly concerts, two singles mixers and an AI-assisted matchmaking system.

Concerts unfold at seven locations, including the Underwater World and TV Tower. Between 20:15 and 20:25 through Aug 31, synchronized light shows over Fushan Bay will project constellations and love poems onto high-rises.

To ease paperwork, the Shinan district civil affairs bureau recently reopened a mobile registration desk on Qufu Road. Officials say the week is the first step toward a year-round "sweet economy" covering dining, lodging, retail and etiquette services.

One hundred couples from around the world gather in Qingdao to renew their wedding vows in full wedding attire. [Photo/WeChat account: qdweishinan]